Free and different telecare offers

James,

My purpose in commenting on the Newcastle proposal was not to criticise them for going down a particular path, but to support their commitment to recognising that something needs to be done to make more people aware of the benefits of telecare technologies and services of all types and all flavours.

I would happily add your application of low-cost telecare to the list that needs to be formally and robustly evaluated. Then, we can with confidence ensure that all the professional prescribers of community services (and the independent advocates of people with personal budgets) are fully aware of the pros and cons of each type of telecare service. This will enable them to recommend the most appropriate solution to meeting the unmet needs, and risks to independence and social exclusion of the people that they assess. Everyone is different (thankfully) so while a button and a box - and a local call handling centre - might not suit some people, it might be exactly what others need.

The challenge facing the prescribers is matching the service to the assessment results - and that needs more and better training and education.

Perhaps service providers and equipment vendors will join together to fund more independent evaluations and training packages that will ultimately benefit everyone!